


I knew I loved you then, but you’d never know

by Kaydan_dua



Category: Crankiplier - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Car Accidents, Dead Phone, Gay mark, Guilty Mark, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mutual Pining, Scared Ethan, Self realization, amy is a phone operator, car explosion, gay ethan, i wrote this at 2 am and it took me three hours, im going to hell, lol, mark is late to film and Ethan is worried, relieved ethan, wet dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 09:53:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27349213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaydan_dua/pseuds/Kaydan_dua
Summary: Mark slammed his foot on the gas, not caring that the car behind him tapped his as well. He looked up to see two overturned cars and people literally running away from the crash. He was only confused for a second before one of the cars exploded into flames, lighting the others as well.——————Ethan was just staring at the door in confusion at this point. Mark was never late to film, especially not with him. He was supposed to arrive at four, but it was now 5:30 and there was no sign of him anywhere.
Relationships: Crankiplier, Septiplier, Tythan - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 98





	I knew I loved you then, but you’d never know

**Author's Note:**

> Title from James Aurthor’s ‘Say you won’t let go’
> 
> I knew I loved you then  
> But you'd never know  
> 'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go  
> I know I needed you  
> But I never showed  
> But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old  
> Just say you won't let go
> 
> I'm so in love with you  
> And I hope you know  
> Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold

Mark was rushing out the door. He was supposed to be at Ethan’s at four to film, but it was already 4:15 and he lived 15 minutes away. He grabbed his keys and phone, neglecting to check his battery or grab a charger for the car. He only noticed his phone was at 10% halfway to Ethan’s house, but it was already too late to turn around at this point. His phone buzzed in his hand and he looked away from the road for a millisecond before hearing a screeching sound from the car in front of him, hearing a crash immediately follow. Seven more crashes ensued after that as well. Mark slammed his foot on the gas, not caring that the car behind him tapped his as well. He looked up to see two overturned cars and people literally running away from the crash. He was only confused for a second before one of the cars exploded into flames, lighting the others as well. He ignored the text and called 911. “You’ve dialed 911, Amy speaking, how may I help you.” Mark explained what happened, telling her where he was and that he didn’t know if there was anyone left in the cars. “We’re sending a team over now, thank you for your call.” As soon as the line closed he went to call Ethan but his phone went black, signifying it’s death. “SHIT!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. Now he was going to be late and not even get to tell Ethan why. 

————————————————

Ethan was just staring at the door in confusion at this point. Mark was never late to film, especially not with him. He was supposed to arrive at four, but it was now 5:30 and there was no sign of him anywhere. There was no reason for him to be late, not any that Ethan knew of at least. They had everything for the videos, Mark never slept in, and Ethan texted him only a couple of hours ago to remind him, but still nothing. To say that Ethan missed Mark was an understatement, but he would never admit it, no matter how hard you would try to get him to. He was falling for him, and there was no doubt about it. The way his smile could just light up the room, the way he always knew how to cheer Ethan up, the way he walked in the door with the slightest hop in his step when they were about to film. Ethan missed everything about Mark, and he just couldn’t wait to see him. 

It was 6 when Ethan finally heard the sound of the lock on the door, and he was beyond ecstatic. He tried to quiet his excitement and went over to the door to greet Mark and also mock him for being late. “You were supposed to be here at four, man! Why are you so late? And why didn’t you answer your phone?” Ethan was more than relieved to see his best friend standing in the foyer, completely intact and healthy. “There was a huge accident on the way here, 8 cars. Some overturned, most on fire. I think most people got out of their cars in time, but I’m seriously lucky I didn’t leave any earlier or I would be a part of it. Also dead phone, had to call ems.” Ethan let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and wrapped his arms around Mark. He wasn’t thinking anymore, he was just glad his friend was alive. He noticed the dent in the back of Mark’s car but ignored it, tucking his face into Mark's shoulder and just saying, “Thank god you’re okay.”

The hug lasted longer than it should have, but neither of the men were complaining. After it broke they went up to Ethan’s recording room and got to work. Mark did Ethan’s intro and Ethan did his, just because it would be funny to have the mix up right in the beginning. “What’s up Cranky Crew, it’s crankgameplays-” “THATS NOT MY FUCKING INTRO MARK!” Both of the boys laughed and got back to work. They filmed Mario Kart for hours, recording way more footage than they needed, just because they were having so much fun. They threw in their ‘goo’ jokes from three years ago when Ethan first moved to LA, they made Septiplier jokes, Crankiplier jokes, Tythan jokes, and just really fooled around for hours and hours of footage. 

After four hours of Mark making fun of Ethan for sucking at Mario Kart, and Ethan replying with his, ‘at least I’m better at sucking’ jokes, Mark and Ethan both recorded their outros and ended the videos. “Do you want to just spend the night? It’s already almost 11 and you already seem exhausted.” Mark just nodded in response. He felt somewhat guilty for being so late. He didn’t have to stay by the accident, he didn’t cause it. He could have just taken another route, but now he was staying over at Ethan’s, causing another burden for the already stressed out, younger man. The accident was also still on his mind. The car just bursting into flames, the realization that it could’ve been him that they brought out of the flaming cars. He left that part out because he didn’t want Ethan to freak out, but there were three bodies that ended up burning in the crash, all from the same car, the one that was right in front of him. His mortality was looming over his head and he was too nervous to leave Ethan’s, hell he might never drive again after that. He laid on the couch thinking only about his new fear. “Hey, Mark, you alright?” Mark snapped out of his daze and looked Ethan in the eyes, he really wasn’t alright, and tears were forming in the corners of his eyes, but he tried to brush it off. “Yeah. I, uh, I’m just zoning out.” It wasn’t technically a lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. Ethan wasn’t convinced, but he decided that Mark seemed fragile right now and didn’t want to push him. “Alright. You wanna play Jackbox for a bit? I finally got that one we played on the live a couple years ago, pack three I think? The one with the murder game. I figured that we could play it sometime since you’re here so often and…” The sound of Ethan's voice just droned out. It was always cute when Ethan rambled, but now Mark was more sensitive to his emotions and he was starting to notice a few more cute things Ethan was doing. He noticed how his hand played with his hair every now and then, messing it up but somehow keeping it perfect. He noticed the way he got so excited talking about his new game, and how, in fact, he got the game for Mark. He noticed the way his eyes creased ever so slightly when he smiled and how his right corner of his mouth sat slightly higher than his left. He noticed something about himself too, that he was thinking about his friend in a different way then he normally did. “S- Sounds like fun.” Mark stuttered. Shit! Mark never stutters, especially not when talking to his friends. He tried to regain his composer a bit before opening his mouth again. “I’m gonna go get my phone from the charger.” 

Ethan noticed that Mark had drifted off a bit, he noticed the small smile he had, he noticed Mark staring at him, and he noticed the stutter, but he could’ve been wrong. Maybe Mark was just tired, or maybe he was right. Maybe Mark felt the same way he did. Maybe he had a chance. 

When Mark returned, the game had already been set up and connected to the tv. The heartbeat sound played through the speakers as Mark and Ethan both put the code for Trivia Murder Party into their phones and made up names. Ethan played as ‘Not Straight’ hoping to give Mark some sort of hint to what he was referring too. Mark set his name to ‘DIE ETHAN’ clearly signifying he was ready to kick his ass. Mark didn’t seem to notice Ethan’s name until after he won the third round when on the newspaper it had read ‘not straight survives’. “HA! Look who’s dead now, again, for the third time!” Ethan was so proud of himself as he started to ramble again about how he always knew Mark's cockiness would get to his head. Mark cut him off. “Wait, Ethan, what does your name mean?” Ethan looked at Mark dead in the eyes, almost hauntingly, and just replied, “It means exactly what it says. I, Ethan Mark Nestor-Darling, am not straight.” Mark’s heart sped up. Why was Ethan making him feel this way, and why did him saying that he isn’t straight make his heart race even faster than it was. All Mark managed to get out was an, “o-oh?” Again with the stutter too. “Yeah I thought it was pretty obvious, but maybe I should’ve just called my character ‘raging homosexual’ though I’m not sure that would fit.” Ethan replied with a chuckle. “Maybe ‘raging homo’ would. Or maybe ‘super gay.’” Mark felt his lips involuntarily smile. “Nice.” Ethan smiled back and returned his ‘nice’, and continued with his laughter from before. 

By the time they decided it was time to go to bed it was 2 in the morning. They played 20 rounds of TMP and Ethan surprisingly won most of them. Mark ended up somehow in a pair of Ethan’s sweats and his heart was jumping thinking about it. He pulled open his phone and opened an incognito tab on google. ‘What does it mean when your heart beats super fast around someone you’re friends with?’ The first result was Web MD saying that he was having a heart attack, but he knew better. The next one said he liked him. That one made more sense, but Mark had never had feelings for really anyone before, there was even a point where he thought he could be aro, but now he realized he just hadn’t met the right person. Now though, he had, and his feelings weren’t going away anytime soon. Ethan grabbed a spare toothbrush from under his sink and handed it to Mark, their fingers brushing against each other’s lightly, but enough for both of their hearts to jump.

After brushing their teeth, Mark and Ethan were about to head to bed, when suddenly Mark turned to Ethan. “Can I stay with you tonight? The accident really screwed me up and I don’t think I’ll be able to be by myself.” Ethan felt his checks redden. “Of course.” He looked away a bit, hoping Mark wouldn’t see the tinge of pink on his cheeks, ears, and neck. “Thanks man, means a lot man.” Mark made sure to throw in that extra ‘man’ this time, trying to make himself sound more nonchalant. No Mark wouldn’t be able to sleep because of the accident, but he also just wants to spend more time with Ethan. As the two got into bed Mark’s face reddened as he pulled out his phone. Besides him Ethan pulled out a book and opened to the chapter he was on. Mark didn’t notice what book it was, but instead noticed the way his lips silently read along to the words on the pages, almost as if he was trying super hard to figure them out. He took this as an opportunity to figure out his feelings. He opened his incognito browser again and searched ‘do I like him quiz’. Every single one was clearly targeted to girls so he made a new search, ‘do I like him quiz for men’. This time the search prevailed. He clicked on the first one and got started.  
1\. Are you friends with him?  
The answer was easy. He clicked the first choice which was just a simple ‘yes’ and kept going.  
2\. How often do you guys talk?  
Another super easy question. He selected ‘almost every day’ and hit the next button.  
3\. If you guys do talk, who often starts the conversation.  
He had to think for a minute but ended up choosing the ‘50/50’ option and continuing.  
4\. Do you find yourself paying attention to what he’s saying?  
He swiftly chose the ‘yes’ option.  
5\. What type of things are you comfortable sharing with him?  
Looking over the options he decided ‘everything’ because he shared his whole life with him so far.  
6\. Do you smile more around him?  
He thought about it and realized that the times he found himself really happy, he always was around Ethan. He picked the ‘yes’ choice and moved on.  
7\. Would you rather be with him or your friends?  
‘Him’. The word jumped into his mind as soon as he read the question. He loved spending time with him and there was nothing that could change that.  
8\. Do you like to annoy him?  
He decided on the ‘yes but only for fun’ option because that’s just what they do all the time.  
9\. How often do you think about him?  
Ethan was always on his mind, no matter what he was doing, so naturally he had picked the ‘all the time’ choice.  
10\. When you talk to him, do you feel like you’re in heaven?  
Mark’s finger moved for him and picked the ‘yes definitely’ option. He made Mark feel like he was the only man on Earth. 

Mark clicked the finish button and waited for the quiz to load, turning his phone away from Ethan so he wouldn’t see the results and ask him about it. The page loaded and his results looked back at him. “You definitely like him! Actually, I'm surprised you even felt you needed to take this test! Good luck!” Of course that’s what he got. Ethan was fucking perfect to him, he was almost like an angel sent from heaven. “Ready to go to bed, Mark?” The words startled him from his thoughts and he jumped a little bit. God his confidence was so much lower around him. “Yeah, goodnight Eth.” Ethan smiled at the nicknames he was given. “Goodnight Mark.” With that the lights were turned off and Mark tried to fall asleep. 

The dream that met Mark was a nice one. Him and Ethan sitting on the back of his car, parked in the parking lot of a beach, watching the sun set into the horizon. He wanted it to last forever, but he had no control over his dreams, so when he and Ethan were back in his room and he was taking off Ethan’s shirt, Mark couldn’t do anything about it, not that he really wanted to anyway. Their lips connected and flowed with each other's movements, almost if they were made to fit together, Mark's shirt now being pulled off as well. Him and Ethan backed up against the bed and Mark pushed him backwards onto it, climbing on top of him, lips reconnecting. Mark pushed his hips down onto Ethans just slightly, eliciting a small moan from the dream man, who bucked up his hips to get more friction. Mark replied by pressing his hips harder down into him, causing him to moan into the kiss. 

————  
Ethan was never much of a sleeper, in fact, once he woke up to the sound of a coin falling off his night table, so when he heard the small moan-like sounds come from Mark, he woke up almost immediately. The sounds stopped for a bit and he tried to fall back asleep, but woke up again to movement on Mark’s side of the bed.  
————

Mark and Ethan found a pace now, rubbing into each other, Ethan now on top of Mark. Mark pressed his hips upwards into the younger mans as he felt a warmth pooling in his lower abdomen. Soon after he came, moaning Ethan's name into the dream, with dream Ethan following soon after, arching his back and holding Mark's knees behind him. “Mark! Mark, wake up!” He opened his eyes and saw Ethan shaking him awake. God no, he just had a wet dream about his best friend, in his best friends bed. “Hey Mark, you okay? You were whimpering and squirming around a lot and I was worried something was bothering you in the dream.” Oh thank god, Ethan had thought it was just a bad dream. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. God that accident really screwed me up.” Ethan seemed to buy it. “Yeah I get it. Do you need me to get you anything?” Mark shook his head as a thought launched into it. It was now or never right? “No I’m good, but uh- can you promise me you won’t get freaked out if I do something?” Ethan nodded and Mark leaned in, pressing his lips against Ethan’s experimentally, relieved when Ethan kissed back against him. It was that kiss that everyone talks about. The one where you see fireworks and pure bliss. The two pulled apart, smiles plastered on both faces felt by both men, even if not seen due to the dark room. Ethan was first to break the silence. “I did not expect that, but wow.” Mark nodded in response. “Can we do that again?” Ethan replied by pressing his lips back against Marks, this time sitting up completely and throwing one of his legs over Mark’s lap and placing his hands on his jaw. Mark’s hands found their way onto Ethans hips, pulling him closer and closing any space between the two. The kiss lasted until the two ran out of breath, the two of them pulling away panting. “Mark.” Mark knew what Ethan meant. “Are you sure?” Ethan nodded. “Please, Mark.” He reconnected their lips and moved one of his hands from the younger’s hip to his sweats, slipping his hand inside and palming his dick through his boxers. A low hum escaped from Ethan's throat. Mark continued palming him for a while before flipping the two over so that he was on top and was pressing Ethan into the mattress while kissing him vigorously. He pulled the smaller boy’s sweats and boxers off and followed suit with his own. “Hold on.” Ethan stopped Mark for a second, making him slightly concerned. He reached for the drawer next to his night stand and grabbed a small bottle of lube. Ethan closed the drawer and handed Mark the bottle. “This is your first time with a guy right? I’ll walk you through it okay.” Mark nodded and took the bottle. “First put some of that on three of your fingers.” He listened to Ethan popping the lip open and pouring it on. “Okay, now go slow. Only one finger at a time.” Mark understood and placed one finger at the right ring of muscle, and slowly pushed it in. Ethan bit his lip in response. Mark caught on quickly to what made him squirm. He slowly started to add another finger after about a minute or two of working Ethan with just the one. Eventually he hit what he assumed to be his prostate, causing Ethan to push his head back into the pillow and let out a pornographic sounding moan. Mark pulled his fingers out causing the younger to groan lightly at the emptiness he felt, though the sound of the lube bottle opening and closing was reassuring that he would be filled up again soon. Mark lathered the slick substance onto his dripping cock, lining it up with Ethan’s ass. He started pushing in, extremely slowly, as if he were afraid of hurting Ethan. Mark didn’t think he could last long. “Holy shit, Ethan, you’re so tight.” Mark groaned out, causing Ethan to squirm. “You can move, Mark.” He complied, pulling almost completely out, and pushing back in slowly. He definitely would not last long like this. He reconnected their lips, the kiss sloppy and wet, but neither of them cared in the slightest. As Mark became more confident he sped up his thrusts, eventually fucking Ethan into the mattress, hitting his prostate every time. “Mark! Mark I’m close.” Mark wrapped his hand around Ethan’s neglected cock, almost immediately making him cum all over his chest and hand. Mark came soon after as well, milking himself dry and slowly pulling out of Ethan. “That was-” “Amazing” Ethan cut him off. “I’m gonna go get a rag, I’ll be right back.” Mark went off into the bathroom and grabbed a small face rag, wetting it slightly and bringing it back to clean up him and Ethan, throwing it to the side after. Their lips reconnected, this time a softer, less needy kiss. “You know that was pretty good for your first time.” Ethan started. “God, I’m not gonna be able to walk tomorrow.” Mark laughed at that. “So what are we now? Boyfriends? Friends with benefits?” Ethan smiled at Mark,more visible after their eyes had adjusted to the lights. “I’d like that first one.” Mark chuckled. “Boyfriends it is then.” The two kissed again, this one being shorter than all the others. “Oh, and Ethan?” “Yeah?” “That dream wasn’t a nightmare.”

**Author's Note:**

> AH! Im so proud of this one!!!! The pacing in my stories are getting better and I’m still awful at tagging but I love this one so much!!!!


End file.
